Wenger waits for sign from Vieira

Jose Reyes admits history should teach Arsenal to accept Patrick Vieira will leave for Real Madrid.

But neither he nor manager Arsene Wenger are willing to let go quite yet, even as the search for a possible replacement steps up a gear.

The former Seville forward was linked with a move to Madrid before he opted for North London last January but he cannot remember Real missing out on a player they set their heart on.

"I can't think of anyone," he said. "When Madrid really go for a player, they usually get him. But I don't know what they plan to do next.

"It would be quite a blow for Arsenal if Patrick left but you have to respect what the player wants and what he decides.

"People spoke a lot about me going to Real Madrid but I wasn't too concerned because until I see an offer on the table, I don't make a decision."

The problem for Wenger and his club is that this time, in their third pursuit of Vieira, Real have shown their hand by making a formal bid for the 28-year-old midfielder.

Bid falls short

The offer is well below Arsenal's valuation - they want at least £25million - and the player is unhappy that the personal terms on offer value him below the 'Galacticos' he remains keen to join in Madrid.

The deadlock and a thigh injury, which will keep Vieira out of today's Community Shield, meant Real missed last week's deadline for signing players eligible for the final Champions League qualification round, which begins this week.

But with a new bid expected in the next 10 days or so, it is unlikely Vieira will still be an Arsenal player when the transfer window closes on August 31.

He turned up for the Arsenal team photograph on Friday but the previous day he had packed his bags at their London Colney training ground.

Although Wenger continues to display confidence that he will keep his captain, Arsenal are drawing up a shortlist of possible replacements and are awaiting a number of scouting reports from this weekend.

Owen Hargreaves, who has a year left on his contract at Bayern Munich, is back in the frame and Wenger has admitted his admiration for Michael Carrick.

Ajax's Steven Pienaar is another alternative and the cosmopolitan casting couch also includes River Plate's Javier Mascherano.

Porto's Maniche, however, seems not to be on the agenda. Wenger said: "Maniche is not the

same type of player as Patrick. He's more of an all-round player, more offensive. Ask Porto - I have not made an enquiry.

"He's not a player I look to to replace Patrick because I don't think we will lose Patrick."

Sixth sense

Wenger is unwilling to provide better evidence for that belief than his manager's sixth sense. But his apparent desire for Vieira to declare his hand suggests he is more worried than he is letting on.

Vieira's silence has Arsenal fans fearing the worst. "The fans are like you and me - they can be wrong," said Wenger.

"I appreciate that they can come to that conclusion as long as Patrick has not reassured them.

"I'm convinced he will do that and I will wait for his commitment.

"I can only give you my version: we don't need the money and we don't want him to go.

"On our side it's clear. Then it's down to his commitment."

Reyes's insistence that he would be surprised if Vieira left, despite his knowledge of Real's ruthlessness, sums up the uncertainty.

Freddie Ljungberg, who has crushed rumours he wants to leave, said: "The players don't know what will happen.

"We leave him alone, try not to think about it and concentrate on the new season."

If Highbury needs something stable to cling to, there are few more established traditions in modern football than Arsenal playing Manchester United in the Community Shield - and, of course, Sir Alex Ferguson engaging in a verbal joust with Wenger.

Ferguson's latest barb was that Arsenal's unbeaten Premiership season was something of a fluke whose number of draws - 12 - reflected the way they played.

Wenger said: "We get huge recognition not only for what we did but also for the way we played.

'I think he would share that, even if it's difficult to accept."

Wenger's appetite for the fight is undiminished but Vieira, it seems, wants a new challenge.

How is Patrick's Spanish, Jose? "Perfect," said Reyes in a rare word of English.